West Ham Opinion: Why the Hammers should go all out for Alex Grimaldo?
According to a report from the Sport, Arsenal and Manchester City are leading the race for Benfica full-back Alex Grimaldo, who is also tracked by Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.
Alex Grimaldo, 23, came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and left Barcelona B for Benfica in 2015. He has grown into one of the best left-backs in Europe and his fantastic performances this season means Benfica face an uphill task to hold onto their prized asset.
West Ham should also join the race for the Spaniard’s signature as Manuel Pellegrini needs to sort out his defence for the next season.
The Hammers have done well to recover from a dismal start this season. To challenge for a Europe next season, Pellegrini should add more quality to his squad over this summer transfer window. Fixing the defensive problems has to be at the top of priority list for West Ham, with the left-back position needing reinforcing.
Aaron Cresswell has done well this season, usurping Arthur Masuaku as the first-choice left-back in the team. Masuaku has started just one league game in 2019 after falling below Cresswell in the pecking order. Truth be told, Masuaku isn’t a great defender and has often been criticised for his defensive lapses.
That certainly makes the left-back department an area for improvement within the team, and Pellegrini could do worse than sign Alex Grimaldo from Benfica.
Grimaldo has already attracted a lot of interest from European clubs and has achieved a lot in a short space of time, winning six major honours with Benfica. The Valencia-born star is a rampaging left-back, blessed with excellent pace, technique and dribbling skills, which should make him a perfect fit for Pellegrini’s system at the London Stadium.
He has a sound positional sense and his tactical awareness is also of the highest quality. The former Barcelona prospect is always eager to move forward and join the team’s attacks but he also has shown his defensive qualities time and again in Benfica colours.
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Grimaldo is a modern-day full-back and has all the qualities needed—barring physicality—to flourish in the Premier League.
Conclusion
The Spaniard is just 23 and there is plenty of time for him to become the best in the business should he realise his vast potential. Grimaldo would be an upgrade to West Ham’s current options and hence, Pellegrini should not hesitate to break the bank for the Benfica star in the summer.
